Adjustable magnetic door latch



May 1953 T. P. FOLEY ADJUSTABLE MAGNETIC DOOR LATCH Filed June 10, 1957 FIG.2

INVENTOR. THOMAS E FOLEY BY% H l 5 ATTORNEY United States Patent ADJUSTABLE MAGNETIC DOOR LATCH Thomas P. Foley, Louisville, Ky., assignor to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Application June 10, 1957, Serial No. 664,534

4 Claims. (Cl. 292251.5)

The present invention relates to an adjustable magnetic door latch and is more particularly concerned with an adjustable magnetic latch for refrigerator cabinets and the like including double-walled door and cabinet structures.

Magnetic latches ordinarily comprise a magnet assembly mounted on either a door or cabinet member and an armature or keeper mounted on the other member for physical contact with the pole faces of the magnets when the door is in a closed position relative to the cabinet. In the case of certain cabinet structures, such as refrigerator cabinets provided with a compressible gasket for sealing the space between the door and the cabinet face, it is desirable that the latch be adjustable in order to provide the proper gasket sealing forces.

It is therefore a primary object of the present invention to provide a magnetic latch for holding a door member in a closed position relative to a cabinet member, the latch including a generally U-shaped permanent magnet and a low-cost and elfective means for adjustably mounting the magnet on one of the members.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description and the features of novelty which characterize the invention will be pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming part of this specification.

In accordance with the present invention there is provided an adjustable magnetic latch for holding a door member in a closed position relative to a cabinet memher, the latch comprising a generally U-shaped magnet having substantially parallel legs provided with shoulders adjacent the ends or pole faces of the magnet legs. For adjustably mounting the magnets behind a wall or face portion of one of the members with the legs 'of the magnet extending forwardly through spaced apertures in the wall portion, there is provided a mounting assembly that includes an outer sleeve adapted to be positioned in each of the wall portion apertures and means for securing the sleeve to the wall portion. The magnet is arranged with the legs thereof extending through the apertures and sleeves and means are provided for resiliently biasing the magnet in the forward direction. An inner sleeve threaded into each of the outer sleeves around the leg of the magnet extending therethrough and having an inwardly extending flange on the forward end thereof is provided for engaging shoulders on the leg or end portions of the magnets. By rotating the inter sleeves relative to the outer sleeves, the position of the magnet ends or pole faces relative to the wall portion can be adjusted. To prevent rotation of the inner sleeve during normal use of the latch, there are provided cooperating releasable locking means on the inner sleeve flange and the magnet shoulders which prevents rotation of the inner sleeve when engaged by the magnet shoulders.

For a better understanding of the invention reference may be had to the accompany drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a horizontal sectional view of a portion of a refrigerator cabinet including an embodiment of the present invention; and

Fig. 2 is a sectional view generally along line 22 of Fig. 1 with portions of the mounting assembly broken away to show the internal structure of that assembly.

Referring to Fig. 1 of the drawing there is shown a portion of a refrigerator including a cabinet member 1 comprising an outer wall 2 and an inner wall 3 spaced from the outer Wall and forming a storage compartment within the cabinet. A heat insulating breaker strip 4 seals the space between the outer wall 2 and the inner Wall 3 and a suitable insulation 5 is provided between these walls.

For closing the access opening to the storage compartment, there is provided a door 5 having an outer wall 7 and an inner wall 8, the inner wall being composed of a plastic or other suitable heat insulating and nonmagnetic material. Suitable insulation 9 fills the space between the inner and outer door walls. In accordance with the usual practice, a compressible gasket It) is provided around the periphery of the storage compartment access opening to seal the space between the door and the cabinet. It is to be understood that the door is pivotally mounted on the cabinet by means of hinges (not shown) provided on the opposite side or edge of the door from that shown in Fig. 1.

For holding the door in a closed, gasket sealing position, there is provided a magnetic latch including a magnet assembly which in the illustrated modification is mounted on the door member and a cooperating armature or keeper 12 mounted on the cabinet face or more specifically on a portion of the breaker strip 4.

The magnetic portions of the latch comprises a generally U-shaped permanent magnet 14 including a base portion 15 and spaced parallel leg portions 16. The mag net 14 is generally disposed between the outer and inner walls 7 and 8 of the door with the legs 16 thereof extending through apertures 18 provided in the inner wall 8 opposite the armature 12 in such a manner that the ends or pole faces 19 of the magnet engage the armature 12 when the door is in the closed position.

As the point at which the pole faces 19 contact the armature 12 determines the position of the door relative to the cabinet when the door is in its closed position and therefore the compressive forces on the gasket 10, it is desirable to provide means for adjusting the positions of the pole faces 19 relative to the door, and therefore to the gaskets high point to obtain the proper compression of the gasket 10.

The adjustable mounting means provided by the present invention comprises outer sleeves 21 adapted to be received in the apertures 18. Each of the sleeves 21 is provided with a flange 22 on the forward end thereof which engages the outer face or" the inner wall portion 8 of the door, the sleeves being held in this position by means of a plate 23 positioned behind the wall 5 threadably engaging the sleeve 21. An inner sleeve 25 is threaded into each of the outer sleeves 2i and these inner sleeves are provided with inwardly extending flanges 26 which are adapted to engage shoulders 27 adjacent the end portions 19 of the magnet. A spring 28 passing around the base portion 15 of the magnet and having its ends attached to the plate 23 resiliently biases the magnet in a forward direction so that the shoulders a7 are held in engagement with the flanges 26 on the inner sleeves 25. As the pole faces 19 of the magnet 14 extend slightly beyond the inner sleeves 25,. the spring 27 permits limited travel of the magnet 14 during a hard closure of the door thereby absorbing some of the door closing shock.

From the above description it will be apparent that rotation of the inner sleeves 25 relative to the outer Patented May 27, 1958 sleeve 21 provides means for adjustably positioning one misalignment of the door face relative to the cabinet or armature. For the puropse of obtaining this adjustment, pressure is applied to one or both of the pole faces 19 to move the shoulders 27 rearwardly out of contact with the flanges 26 on the inner sleeve 25 after which the inner-sleeve, or sleeves are rotated relative to the outer sleeves 21 until the desired adjustment of the magnet is obtained. The magnet isthen released and allowed to move forwardly to a point where the shoulders again engage the flanges 26. .If desired, the exposed surface of the inner sleeves may be knurled to facilitate the manual adjustment thereof. V 7 Q In order to prevent undesired rotation or adjustment of the inner sleeve 25 during normal opening and closing of the door, there are provided locking means in the form of. one or more detents Men the inner surfaces of the flanges 26 which are adapted to engage spaced depressions or notches 30 in shoulders 27 of the magnet. These notches'30 are preferably of a depth such that normal movement of the magnet 14 during slamming of the door will not causerthe detents 29to become disengaged or ride out of notches 30.

While there has been shown and described a particular embodiment of the present invention, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the invention, and it is intended by the appended claims to cover all such changes and modifications which fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

a What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

' 1.An adjustable magnetic latch for holding a door member in a closed position relative to a cabinet mem- ,ber;comprising-a generally U-shaped magnet having substantially parallel legs with shoulders adjacent the ends thereof and a mounting assembly for adjustably mounting said magnet behind a wall portion of one of said members with the legs thereof extending forwardly through. spaced apertures provided in said wall portion, said mounting'assembly including an outer sleeve adapted to be positioned in each aperture, means for securing said sleeve to said wall portion, means for resiliently biasing saidvmagnet in a forward direction, an inner sleeve threaded into each of said outer sleeves around the leg of the magnet'extending therethrough and having an inwardly extending flange on the forward end" thereof for engaging said shoulders, said inner sleeve flanges and said magnet shoulders having cooperating'releasable lockmagnet behind a wall portion of oneof said members with the legs thereof extending forwardly through spacedapertures provided in said wall, portion, saidlmounting assembly including an outer sleeve adapted tobe position in each aperture, a plate threadably engaging each 05 of said s'leeves,imeans for securing said sleeves to said wall portion, an inner sleeve threaded into each of said outer sleeves around the leg of the magnetextending therethrough and having an inwardly extending flange on the forwardendthereof for engaging said shoulders, a spring connected to said plate and engaging said magnet for resiliently biasing said magnet into engagement with said inner sleeve flanges, said inner sleeve flanges and said magnet shoulders having cooperating releasable locking means for preventing rotation of said inner sleeves when engaged by said shoulders.

3. A magnetic latch for holding a door member ina closed position relative to' a cabinet member and including a magnet assembly adapted to be mountedsuhstan tially on the rear side of a non-magnetic wall portion of one of said members, said assembly comprising a pair of non-magnetic outer sleeves each having an outwardly extending flange on the forward end thereof and being adapted to be positionedrespectively in spaced apertures in said wall portion with the flanges on the face side of said wall portion, a plate adapted to be disposed on the rear side of said wallportion and'having cooperating apertures therein for threadably engaging said outer sleeves to support said sleeves on said wall portion, a

. generally U-shaped magnet having the opposite legs there:

of respectively extending forwardly through said outer sleeves, resilient means biasing said magnet in a forward direction and means for adjustably positioningthe ends of said magnet relative'to said wall portion comprising an inner sleeve threaded into each of said outer sleeves around said magnet legs and having an inwardly extending flange on the forward end thereof defining an open ing for receiving the end portion of a leg of said magnet, each of said magnet legs having a shoulder portion en-' gaging an inner sleeve flange, said inner sleeves and said shoulders having locking. means for preventing rotation of said inner sleeves when said shoulder portions are in' engagement with said inner sleeve flanges. 7

4. A magnetic latch for holding a door member in a.

closed position relative to a ca'binetmember and includ ing a magnet assembly adapted to be mount-ed substan:

tially on the rear side of a non-magnetic wall portion of one of said members, said assembly comprising a pair,

of non-magnetic outer sleeves each having an outwardly extending flange on the forward end thereof andbeing; adapted to be positioned respectively in spaced znaertures i in said wall portion with the flanges on the face side jof said wall portion, a plate adapted'to be disposed ,onjhe rear side of said Wall portion and: having cooperating apertures therein for .threadably engagingv said [outer sleeves to support. said sleeves on said wiallportion, a I generally U-shaped magnet having the opposite legsjhere of respectively extending forwardly through said outer sleeves, resilient means biasing said magnet in a forward direction and means for adjustably positioning the ends of said magnet relative to said wall portion comprising an inner sleeve threaded into each of said outer sleeves around said magnet legs and having an 'inwardly extending flange on the forward end thereof defining an open ing for receiving the end portion of a leg of said magnet,

each of said magnet legs having a shoulder portion en-' gaging an inner sleeve flange, and detents on said inner sleeves for'engaging notches in said shoulders to prevent rotation of said inner sleeves when said shoulder portions are in engagement with said'inner sleeve flanges. j

ReferencesCited in the file of this atent i 1 UNITED STATES PATENTS f 2,813,741 Janos Net/Agassi 7 FOREIGN rAraNrs 73,266 Denmark Oct." 8, i951. 

